6-i 

CHAPTER 6. ENERGY USE CHARACTERIZATION 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

6.1 PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT ................................................................................. 6-1

6.2 OPERATING HOURS .................................................................................................... 6-1

6.3 LIGHTING CONTROLS ................................................................................................ 6-9

6.4 RESULTS OF THE ENERGY USE CHARACTERIZATION ...................................... 6-9

6.4.1 General Service Fluorescent Lamps .................................................................... 6-9

6.4.2 Incandescent Reflector Lamps ........................................................................... 6-13

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 6-14

LIST OF TABLES 

Table 6.2.1 Average Operating Hours by Sector and Lamp Type............................................... 6-3

Table 6.4.1 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 2-Lamp Instant 

Start System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors...................................................................... 6-10

Table 6.4.2 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 2-Lamp 

Programmed Start System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors ................................................ 6-10

Table 6.4.3 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 4-Lamp Instant 

Start System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors...................................................................... 6-11

Table 6.4.4 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 4-Lamp 

System Programmed Start System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors ................................... 6-11

Table 6.4.5 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 2-Lamp Instant 

Start System, Residential Sector ................................................................................................ 6-11

Table 6.4.6 Annual Energy Consumption for the 8-Foot T8 Single-Pin Slimline GSFL 2-Lamp 

System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors .............................................................................. 6-12

Table 6.4.7. Annual Energy Consumption for the 8-Foot T8 Recessed Double Contact High 

Output GSFL 2-Lamp System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors.......................................... 6-12

Table 6.4.8 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot T5 Miniature Bipin Standard Output 

GSFL 2-Lamp System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors ...................................................... 6-12

Table 6.4.9 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot T5 Miniature Bipin High Output GSFL 

2-Lamp System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors ................................................................ 6-12

Table 6.4.10 Annual Energy Consumption for IRLs, Commercial and Residential Sectors .... 6-13
6-ii

LIST OF FIGURES 

Figure 6.2.1 Residential Sector Building Type Probability ......................................................... 6-3

Figure 6.2.2 Residential Sector IRL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building Type .... 6-4

Figure 6.2.3 Residential Sector GSFL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building Type 6-5

Figure 6.2.4 Commercial Sector Building Type Probability ....................................................... 6-6

Figure 6.2.5 Commercial Sector IRL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building Type .. 6-7

Figure 6.2.6 Commercial Sector GSFL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building Type6-7

Figure 6.2.7 Industrial Sector Building Type Probability ............................................................ 6-8

Figure 6.2.8 Industrial Sector GSFL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building Type ... 6-9
6-1 

CHAPTER 6.ENERGY USE CHARACTERIZATION 

6.1 PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT 

This chapter presents the methodology the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) follows to 

estimate the annual energy consumption of the lamp and lamp-and-ballast designs DOE 

considers in the rulemaking analyses. The results of this analysis, which represent typical energy 

consumption in the field, are critical inputs to the life-cycle cost (LCC) and payback period 

(PBP) analyses, described in chapter 8 of this preliminary technical support document (TSD), 

and the national impact analysis (NIA), described in chapter 10 of this TSD. DOE utilizes 

information on annual energy consumption to determine the potential energy and operating cost 

savings to consumers from the use of more-efficient products. 

DOE determined the annual energy consumption of the lamp and lamp-and-ballast 

designs using information on their rated power (i.e., the rate of energy they consume) and the 

way consumers use them (i.e., operating hours per year). The engineering analysis (chapter 5 of 

this TSD) discusses the power ratings of lamp and lamp-and-ballast designs. The following 

sections discuss the inputs and calculations DOE used to develop annual operating hours and 

annual energy consumption for the products considered in this analysis. 

6.2 OPERATING HOURS 

 To characterize the country’s average use of lighting for a typical year, DOE developed 

annual operating hours by market sector and lamp type (i.e., general service fluorescent lamps 

[GSFLs] and incandescent reflector lamps [IRLs]). For the LCC, DOE accounted for variability 

in operating hours by developing a distribution of operating hours in the LCC spreadsheet for 

each lamp type. The operating hour distributions capture variation by building type across 13 

census divisions and large states for all market sectors analyzed.a

 In conjunction with data from the 2010 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization (LMC),1

DOE used data from the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA’s) 2003 Commercial 

Building Energy Consumption Survey (2003 CBECS),22009 Residential Energy Consumption 

Survey (2009 RECS),3and 2006 Manufacturer Energy Consumption Survey (2006 MECS).4

These EIA studies provide information on the distribution of U.S. buildings by building type and 

census division. The LMC, which is based on thousands of building audits and surveys, provides 

national-level data on annual operating hours by building type and lamp type for all sectors. 

These operating hours are broken down by room type for the residential sector.b

 

a

 Census divisions include New England, Middle Atlantic, East North Central, West North Central, South Atlantic, 

East South Central, West South Central, Mountain, and Pacific. Large states include California, Florida, New York, 

and Texas. Sectors include residential, commercial, and industrial for GSFLs and residential and commercial for 

IRLs. 

b

Residential sector residence types include single family detached, single family attached, multifamily, and mobile 

home. Residential sector room types include basement(s), bathroom(s), bedroom(s), closet(s), dining room(s), 

exterior(s), garage(s), hall(s), kitchen(s), laundry/utility room(s), living/family room(s), office(s), other/unknown. 

Commercial building types include education, food service, food store, health care – inpatient, health care – 
6-2 

DOE associated LMC operating hour data by building type with EIA data by building 

type and census division and large states to derive annual operating hours by census division and 

large states. This allowed DOE to correlate the electricity price distribution and sales tax 

distribution (see chapter 8 of this TSD) with the operating hour distribution in the LCC 

spreadsheet. The following paragraphs describe the data sources that DOE used to develop 

annual operating hours by sector. 

For the residential sector, DOE used RECS building data and LMC residential sector 

operating hour data to develop average annual operating hours for IRLs and GSFLs. The 2009

RECS data indicates the probability that a building is a certain type. The LMC indicates the 

occurrence of IRLs and GSFLs in certain room types within a given building type and the 

number of lamps and lamp operating hour characteristics in these rooms. DOE used aggregated 

data from the LMC to calculate average annual operating hours for GSFLs and IRLs per building 

type. DOE chose to aggregate operating hour data to the building level, rather than to the room 

level, because DOE believes this approach better represents the impact on an individual 

consumer. However, DOE does use operating hour data at the room level to perform LCC 

sensitivity analyses for IRLs (see appendix 8B of this TSD). DOE then used the probability of 

each building type from RECS and the annual operating hours from the LMC to calculate a 

weighted average of residential operating hours for all building types. 

For the commercial sector, DOE used the operating hours by lamp type, estimated U.S. 

lamp inventory, and daily operating hours by building type from the LMC to calculate the annual 

operating hours by building type for GSFLs and IRLs. DOE used 2003 CBECS data to calculate 

the probability of each building type. Using the probability and annual operating hours of each 

building type, DOE calculated a weighted average of commercial operating hours for all building 

types. 

To develop average annual operating hours in the industrial sector, DOE used an 

approach consistent with that used for the commercial sector. DOE used the operating hours by 

lamp type, estimated U.S. lamp inventory, and daily operating hours by building type from the 

LMC to calculate the annual operating hours by building type for GSFLs. The 2006 MECS data 

indicates the probability that a building is a certain type. DOE then used the annual operating 

hours calculated from the LMC and the probability from MECS to calculate a weighted average 

of industrial operating hours for all building types. Table 6.2.1 summarizes the weighted-average 

operating hours per lamp type per sector. Due to low market share (less than 1 percent, as 

indicated in the 2010 LMC)5

, DOE did not assess energy use for IRLs in the industrial sector. 

 

outpatient, lodging, offices (non-medical), public assembly, public order and safety, religious worship, retail – mall 

& non-mall, services, warehouse and storage, and other. Vacant buildings were not included in the commercial 

sector analysis. Industrial building types include apparel, beverage and tobacco products, chemicals, computer and 

electronic products, electrical eq., appliances & components, fabricated metal products, food, furniture and related 

products, leather and allied products, machinery, nonmetallic mineral products, paper, petroleum and coal products, 

plastics and rubber products, primary metals, printing and related support, textile mills, textile product mills, 

transportation equipment, wood products, and miscellaneous.
6-3 

Table 6.2.1 Average Operating Hours by Sector and Lamp Type 

Sector Lamp Type

Average Annual

Operating Hours

hr/year

Residential

GSFL 648

IRL 761

Commercial

GSFL 4,058

IRL 4,496

Industrial GSFL 4,585

Figure 6.2.1 displays the probability of each building type in the residential sector. Figure 

6.2.2 and Figure 6.2.3 display the annual operating hours DOE uses for IRLs and GSFLs, 

respectively, in the residential sector for each building type. DOE used these annual operating 

hours in the calculation of annual energy consumption. 

Figure 6.2.1 Residential Sector Building Type Probability 
6-4 

Figure 6.2.2 Residential Sector IRL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building Type 

725

730

735

740

745

750

755

760

765

770

775

780

Single Family 

Detached

Single Family 

Attached

Multifamily Mobile Home

Residential-Sector IRL Annual Operating 

Hours

Building Type
6-5 

Figure 6.2.3 Residential Sector GSFL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building 

Type 

Figure 6.2.4 displays the probability of each building type in the commercial sector. 

Figure 6.2.5 and Figure 6.2.6 display the annual operating hour distributions for IRLs and 

GSFLs, respectively, operating in the commercial sector. DOE used this distribution of annual 

operating hours in the calculation of annual energy consumption. 

580

600

620

640

660

680

700

720

Single Family 

Detached

Single Family 

Attached

Residential

Multifamily Mobile Home

-Sector GSFL Annual Operating 

Hours

Building Type
6-6 

Figure 6.2.4 Commercial Sector Building Type Probability 
6-7 

Figure 6.2.5 Commercial Sector IRL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building 

Type 

Figure 6.2.6 Commercial Sector GSFL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building 

Type 

4250

4300

4350

4400

4450

4500

4550

4600 Commercial-Sector IRL Annual Operating Hours

Building Type

3950

4000

4050

4100

4150

4200 Commercial-Sector GSFL Annual Operating Hours

Building Type
6-8 

Figure 6.2.7 displays the probability of each building type in the industrial sector. Figure 

6.2.8 displays the annual operating hour distribution for GSFLs operating in the industrial sector. 

DOE used this distribution of annual operating hours in the calculation of annual energy 

consumption. 

Figure 6.2.7 Industrial Sector Building Type Probability 
6-9 

Figure 6.2.8 Industrial Sector GSFL Annual Operating Hour Distribution by Building 

Type 

6.3 LIGHTING CONTROLS 

DOE evaluated the effects of lighting controls on energy use by examining the impact of 

dimmers on the annual energy consumption of both GSFLs and IRLs. See appendix 6A of this 

TSD for a discussion of how DOE accounted for the use of dimmers and see appendix 8B of this 

TSD for the LCC savings of GSFLs and IRLs operated on dimming systems.

6.4 RESULTS OF THE ENERGY USE CHARACTERIZATION

 This section presents the annual energy use estimates for GSFLs and IRLs. DOE 

calculated the annual energy consumption using the average annual operating hours (see section 

6.2) and power rating estimates of the lamp or lamp-and-ballast systems derived in the 

engineering analysis (see chapter 5 of this TSD). DOE used the annual energy consumption 

results in the LCC and PBP analyses and the NIA to calculate the operating cost of systems and 

estimate the potential energy savings of candidate standard levels (CSLs). 

6.4.1 General Service Fluorescent Lamps 

Using annual operating hours and system input power or power rating of GSFL lamp or 

lamp-and-ballast systems, DOE calculated the annual energy consumption of the entire lampand-ballast system. The tables below present: (1) the system input power for all GSFL systems 

DOE assessed in the LCC and PBP analysis; and (2) average annual energy consumption per 

lamp-and-ballast system using the U.S. weighted average of annual operating hours in each 

sector. DOE calculated the annual energy consumption based on the U.S. weighted-average 

annual operating hours for GSFLs in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, which 

4300

4350

4400

4450

4500

4550

4600

4650 Industrial-Sector GSFL Annual Operating Hours

Building Type
6-10

are 648 hours, 4,058 hours, and 4,585 hours, respectively. Appendix 6A of this TSD presents the 

energy consumption rates for systems operated on dimmers. 

As discussed in the engineering analysis, DOE paired lamps with ballasts of different 

starting methods and of different ballast factors (BFs), creating a number of system designs. The 

tables below present the annual energy consumption of each unique lamp-and-ballast pairing (i.e.

wattage and BF combination) analyzed. For example, in the 8-foot recessed double contact 

(RDC) high output (HO) product class, the results for only one system are presented below 

because all lamp-and-ballast systems analyzed had the same combination of lamp wattage and 

BF, thus resulting in the same system input power and annual energy consumption. This differs 

from the engineering analysis, which presents results for all lamp-and-ballast systems analyzed 

at the baseline and each CSL in both the lamp replacement and lamp-and-ballast replacement 

scenarios. See chapter 5 of this TSD for more discussion of the lamp-and-ballast systems. 

Table 6.4.1 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 2-Lamp 

Instant Start System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Industrial

W kWh kWh

0.88BF32 Elec* 56.0 227.1 256.5

0.88BF25 Elec 46.9 190.3 215.0

0.88BF28 Elec 50.3 204.2 230.7

0.88BF32 Elec 55.2 224.2 253.3

0.78BF32 Elec 49.4 200.5 226.5

0.88BF25Elec 46.3 187.8 212.2

0.77BF32 Elec 48.3 196.2 221.6

0.87BF28 Elec 48.8 198.0 223.7

W = watts

kWh = kilowatt hours

*“0.88BF32 Elec” indicates a lamp-and-ballast system consisting of a 32W lamp paired with an electronic ballast of 

a 0.88 ballast factor.

Table 6.4.2 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 2-Lamp 

Programmed Start System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Industrial

W kWh kWh

0.88BF32 Elec 56.0 227.1 256.6

0.88BF25 Elec 47.0 190.8 215.6

0.88BF28Elec 50.4 204.5 231.1
6-11

Table 6.4.3 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 4-Lamp 

Instant Start System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Industrial

W kWh kWh

0.87BF32 Elec 108.0 438.3 495.2

0.87BF25 Elec 90.4 367.0 414.6

0.87BF28 Elec 97.1 393.9 445.0

0.87BF32 Elec 107.1 434.7 491.l

0.78BF32 Elec 96.8 393.0 440.0

0.87BF25 Elec 89.7 363.8 411.1

0.77BF32 Elec 96.0 389.7 440.3

0.87BF28 Elec 96.2 390.5 441.2

Table 6.4.4 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 4-Lamp 

System Programmed Start System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Industrial

W kWh kWh

0.89BF32 Elec 111.0 450.6 509.1

0.89BF25 Elec 93.2 378.1 427.1

0.89BF28 Elec 99.9 405.4 458.1

0.88BF32 Elec 110.7 449.0 507.3

0.88BF28 Elec 98.5 399.7 451.5

Table 6.4.5 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot Medium Bipin T8 GSFL 2-Lamp 

Instant Start System, Residential Sector 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy 

Consumption

Residential

W kWh

0.87BF32 Elec 56.5 36.6

0.87BF25 Elec 47.4 30.7

0.87BF28 Elec 50.9 33.0

0.83BF32Elec 53.7 34.8
6-12

Table 6.4.6 Annual Energy Consumption for the 8-Foot T8 Single-Pin Slimline GSFL 2-

Lamp System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Industrial

W kWh kWh

0.87BF59 Elec 106.8 433.2 489.5

0.87BF54 Elec 101.3 411.2 464.5

0.87BF50 Elec 94.0 381.3 430.8

0.85BF59 Elec 104.0 422.1 476.9

0.85BF54 Elec 98.7 400.6 452.6

0.85BF50 Elec 91.5 371.5 419.7

Table 6.4.7. Annual Energy Consumption for the 8-Foot T8 Recessed Double Contact High 

Output GSFL 2-Lamp System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Industrial

W kWh kWh

0.81BF86 Elec 148.4 602.4 680.6

Table 6.4.8 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot T5 Miniature Bipin Standard 

Output GSFL 2-Lamp System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Industrial

W kWh kWh

1.0BF28 Elec 60.4 245.1 276.9

1.0BF26 Elec 56.6 229.7 259.5

1.0BF25 Elec 54.5 221.1 249.8

0.95BF28Elec 57.9 235.0 265.6

0.95BF26 Elec 54.3 220.3 248.9

0.95BF25 Elec 52.3 212.1 239.6

Table 6.4.9 Annual Energy Consumption for the 4-Foot T5 Miniature Bipin High Output 

GSFL 2-Lamp System, Commercial and Industrial Sectors 

Technology Option

System Input Power

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Industrial

W kWh kWh

1.0BF54 Elec 116.5 472.7 534.1

1.0BF50 Elec 108.5 440.2 497.4

1.0BF47 Elec 102.2 414.6 468.4
6-13

6.4.2 Incandescent Reflector Lamps 

Because an IRL does not require a ballast to operate, the rate of energy usage is simply 

the rated power of the lamp. Table 6.4.10 presents power ratings for all of the IRL designs. DOE 

calculated the annual energy consumption based on the U.S. weighted-average annual operating 

hours for IRLs in the residential and commercial sectors as 761 hours and 4,496 hours,

respectively. As mentioned previously, DOE did not analyze IRLs in the industrial sector 

because of their low market share in that sector. Appendix 6A of this TSD lists the annual energy 

consumption of those IRL designs used in the lighting controls scenarios. 

Table 6.4.10 Annual Energy Consumption for IRLs, Commercial and Residential Sectors 

Technology

Option

Lamp Power 

Rating

Annual Energy Consumption

Commercial Residential

W kWh kWh

Baseline 1: 

Improved Halogen 60 269.7 45.7

Baseline 2: HIR 60 269.7 45.7

CSL 1: Improved 

HIR 55 247.3 41.9
6-14

REFERENCES

1 U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Energy 

Conservation Program for Consumer Products: 2010 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization. 

2012. Washington, D.C.

< http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2010-lmc-final-jan-2012.pdf> 

2 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. Commercial Building Energy 

Consumption Survey: Micro-level data, file 2 Building Activities, Special Measures of Size, and 

Multi-building Facilities. 2003. Washington, D.C.

<http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/public_use.html> 

3 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. RECS Public Use Microdata 

files.2009. Washington, D.C. 

< http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2009/> 

4 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. Manufacturing Energy 

Consumption Survey, Table 9.1: Enclosed Floorspace and Number of Establishment Buildings. 

2006. Washington, D.C.

< http://www.eia.gov/emeu/mecs/mecs2006/2006tables.html> 

5 U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Energy 

Conservation Program for Consumer Products: 2010 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization. 

2012. Washington, D.C.

< http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2010-lmc-final-jan-2012.pdf>